Prepare for His Return Bible Study Excerpt

Excerpt taken from Chapter 10 of Preparing to Stand Before the Son of Man: An End-time Bible Study

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

John 4:24.

Before I was Baptized in the Holy Spirit, I did not understand what it meant to worship God in the spirit. I was aware that the Word of God was the truth and I could worship with the truth. But I was lacking worship in the spirit. In heaven, God is all-present and the Power of the Holy Spirit is not needed. But on earth, without the Holy Spirit I could not attain worship in the spirit and therefore I was missing part of who I was created to be.

Before you begin this chapter, it would help you to receive more of the truth if you first spend time in worship. If you are alone you could use a CD and sing with the recording. If you are in a group, the leader could lead the group in worship songs. Staying prayerful as you work on the chapter will help you to understand what the Holy Spirit is trying to impart to you.

When you stop for the day, you should close with one or two worship songs.

Part 1

Read John 4:19-26.

1. In the Samaritan town of Sychar, Jesus had

a talk with a woman by the well of Jacob.

Where did the woman say their Fathers

worshiped?

2. Where did the woman say the Jews said

people had to worship?

3. What did Jesus say the Samaritans and the

Jews worship?

4. What did Jesus say was coming?

5.In verse 23, Jesus mentioned when that

coming would happen. When did it

happen?

6. How does a true worshiper worship God?

7. Who is seeking true worshipers?

8.Why do they have to worship in Spirit and

in truth?

9. Who did the woman say would explain

everything to us when He came?

10. Who did Jesus say He was?

Part 2

In the Book of Revelation, John writes about a vision he had while on the Island of Patmos. John was given instructions to write what he was seeing as it was happening. Many people have worked over the generations to understand this book. In this Chapter we will be looking at that which would be our reward if we follow Our Lord’s Way of love and stand firm until the end. And true worshipers can begin here on earth.

Read Revelation 1:9-11.

1. Why was John on the Island of Patmos?

2. On the Lord’s Day, John said he was, “in the Spirit.” What does that mean to you?

3. If I pray for a long time in my prayer language, I have a strong sense of the presence of God. I know I am in the Kingdom of God. Does this happen to you?

4. Could this be what John meant by being “in the Spirit?”

5. Could you be, in the Spirit, and not have a

vision? (Remember John 4:24.)

6. John did have a vision and he heard a loud

voice like a trumpet. What did the voice

tell him to do?

Read John 1:12-20.

1. When John turned around whom did he see?

2. In verse 17, what did John do when he

realized what he was seeing?

3. John was in the Spirit at the time of the

vision, why do you think he fell as if

dead?

4. Who helped John to stand and how was it

done?

Part 3

Read Matthew 17:1-8.

1. Who did Jesus take with him up a high

mountain?

2. What happened to Jesus?

3. Who appeared and talked to Jesus?

4. Do you think Peter was speaking out of nervousness, fear or bewilderment?

5. When the cloud came and the Words

came forth what did the disciples do?

6. Why do you think that the disciples

were terrified?

7. What did Jesus do and say to the

disciples that helped them?

8. After this transfiguration do you think

that Peter, James and John ever forgot

who Jesus really was?

9. How does Jesus seen in John’s vision

in chapter 4 and 5 of Revelation

compare to Jesus who lived on earth?

10. Could Jesus have been as effective a

teacher if His glory was shown all the

days of His life on earth?

11. Jesus is human and God. Is it

important for us to focus on Him as

God and to be obedient to Jesus Our

Lord and Our God?

12. What Jesus will we meet at our home

coming?

Part 4

1. Have you ever had a vision?

I have had several visions. And I am not surprised to hear that others are having them, also. This scripture from Joel is about those times that began with the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit during the feast of Pentecost.

“The day of the Lord. And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions…I will pour out my Spirit in those days.”

Joel 2:28, 29b.

Even though I was in the Spirit at the time of the visions and filled up with the Lord, I shook with Fear of the Lord. I heard and saw everything and have not forgotten anything. But for weeks afterward, I could still be shaking from the experience. My physical being had difficulties that my spirit man did not.

We won’t have the consequences of our physical bodies in God’s heavenly realm. And praying in the Spirit brings us deeper into God’s Kingdom inside of us while we live on earth.

Read Revelation 4:1-6a,b.

2. Stand up and reread the verses slowly, speaking them out loud and stopping

after each verse. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to imagine what was being

described. Do you think John could be standing without the help of Jesus and the

Holy Spirit?

Read Revelation 4:6c-11.

1. What do the four living creatures never stop saying day and night?.

2. Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the

throne, who else joins in?

3. What do they do for their worship?

4. What is their song?

5. Have you ever heard the words of worship by the creatures or the elders in a song

sung today? If yes, can you sing it now?

Read Revelation 5:1-5.

1. When no one was found to open the scroll with the seven seals, what did John do?

2. Why do you think he was crying?

3. Who could open the scroll and its seven seals?

4. Who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Root of David?

Read Revelation 5:6-10.

1. How did John see Jesus?

2. When the Lamb took the scroll from the one who sits on the throne, what did the

four living creatures and the twenty-four elders do?

3. What were they holding?

4. Are your prayers in the incense bowls?

5. What was their new song?

Read Revelation 5:11-14.

1. How many voices of angels did John hear?

2. What were they singing?

3. In verse 13 who was singing?

4. What were they singing?

5. Can you say, “Amen,” with the four living creatures in verse 14?

6. Could you fall down and worship every day?

In the years before I began to study Scripture, I thought more about what Jesus’ death meant to me here on earth. But through my studies in Scripture I began to understand that the Kingdom of God begins here and now. And by the Power of the Holy Spirit I had begun to live in the Kingdom of God.

7. Do these images in John’s vision, help you to see in another way the importance

of what Jesus bought for us on the cross?

8. This will probably be the best vision we will ever have of heaven and what waits

for us there. Does this help you to do the harder work you may be called to do

during our short stay on earth, so you can live in the Kingdom of God now? Will

this work help you to stand before the Son of Man at your homecoming?

Back to The Books Page | Home | The Author | Order Form

Paula Russo | P.O. Box 950987 | Lake Mary, FL 32795 |paula@acloserwalkwithgod.com